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Part 10 · The Square and the Circle · points 14–20 of 24 in this Part

The great error is thinking small

The error of the age is the idea that we are limited.

7 numbered points · 2 study questions · 3 min read

The one line to keep

The error of the age is the idea that we are limited.

Haanel names the mistake directly: people have come to believe that human beings are limited by nature. Electricity seemed useless until its laws were formulated; the same thing is happening with thought. All nature shows the law working — cause and effect, seed and fruit. If your thought is in harmony with the creative principle, you can be sure of the harvest. If it is not, you can be equally sure of the result.
Why this matters to you
Nobody sat you down and told you that you were limited. You absorbed it. Absorbed things can be unlearned.

Study questions for this sublevel

Haanel put a review question at the end of every part. Answer out loud first — the recall is what moves it into memory.

97. Upon what does causation depend?

Upon polarity; a circuit must be formed. The Universal is the positive side of the battery of life, the individual is the negative, and thought forms the circuit.

98. Why do many fail to secure harmonious conditions?

They do not understand the law; there is no polarity; they have not formed the circuit.

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Haanel's own words — points 14–20

Quoted exactly from The Master Key System (1912, public domain). The translation above is ours; this is his.

14

In taking advantage of the wonderful possibilities opened up to us through the operation of this law, we must remember that we ourselves contribute nothing to its efficacy as the Great Teacher said: "It is not I that doeth the works, but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the work". We must take exactly the same position; we can do nothing to assist in the manifestation, we simply comply with the law, and the All-originating Mind will bring about the result.

15

The great error of the present day is the idea that Man has to originate the intelligence whereby the Infinite can proceed to bring about a specific purpose or result. Nothing of this kind is necessary; the Universal Mind can be depended upon to find the ways and means for bringing about any necessary manifestation. We must, however, create the ideal, and this ideal should be perfect.

16

We know that the laws governing Electricity have been formulated in such a way that this invisible power can be controlled and used for our benefit and comfort in thousands of ways. We know that messages are carried around the world, that ponderous machinery does its bidding, that it now illuminates practically the whole world, but we know too that if we consciously or ignorantly violate its law by touching a live wire, when it is not properly insulated, the result will be unpleasant and possibly disastrous. A lack of understanding of the laws governing in the invisible world has the same result, and many are suffering the consequences all the time.

17

It has been explained that the law of causation depends upon polarity, a circuit must be formed; this circuit cannot be formed unless we operate in harmony with the law. How shall we operate in harmony with the law unless we know what the law is? How shall we know what the Law is? By study, by observation.

18

We see the law in operation everywhere. All nature testifies to the operation of the law by silently, constantly expressing itself in the law of growth. Where there is growth, there must be life. Where there is life there must be harmony, so that everything that has life is constantly attracting to itself the conditions and the supply which is necessary for its most complete expression.

19

If your thought is in harmony with the creative Principle of Nature, it is in tune with the Infinite Mind and it will form the circuit. It will not return to you void but it is possible for you to think thoughts that are not in tune with the Infinite, and when there is no polarity, the circuit is not formed. What, then, is the result? What is the result when a dynamo is generating electricity, the circuit is cut off and there is no outlet? The dynamo stops.

20

It will be exactly the same with you, if you entertain thoughts which are not in accordance with the Infinite and cannot therefore be polarized there is no circuit. You are isolated. The thoughts cling to you, harass you, worry you, and finally bring about disease and possibly death. The physician may not diagnose the case exactly in this way, he may give it some fancy name which has been manufactured for the various ills which are the result of wrong thinking, but the cause is the same nevertheless.

Put it to work

This week's exercise

The Will Drill (Part Ten)

Usual seat. Relax body, calm mind (Levels 3 and 4 are prerequisites — Haanel assumes them).

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Sit with it

Guided stillness timer

The sit is the whole foundation of the course: still body, watched breath, no phone. Pick five minutes if fifteen feels like a hill.

Open the timer

Keep going

Part 10 · The Square and the Circle

Proof, on the wall of your mind, that you can command it